The long U vowel and short U vowel

A common problem that many English learners have is distinguishing between the vowel /u:/ (e.g. – pool) and the vowel /u/ (e.g. – pull).  To understand the difference between these vowels, you need to understand how they are articulated.

The vowel /u:/ is longer because it is a diphthong.  In this case,this means that /u:/ starts as a /u/ vowel and then becomes a /w/ sound.   For /u:/ your lips start off being rounded and open, and then your lips become rounded and more closed.   The vowel /u/ is shorter because it is NOT a diphthong.  It does not change into a /w/ sound.   So, it just remains rounded and open.  To see the difference in articulation between these vowels, please see the video below.

Examples of word pairs which differ by whether they contain a /u:/ or a /u/ are the following (the first word in each pair is a /u:/ and the second word in each pair is a /u/):   fool/full              pool/pull                 Luke/look              suit/soot               who’d/hood

As you can see, spelling does not usually help you distinguish the vowel.  The long vowel can be written as <oo> (e.g. – fool, pool, cool).  The short vowel can also be written as <oo> (e.g. – look, hood, book).  So, it’s a good idea to check your dictionary for the pronunciation.  Many dictionaries use /u:/ and /u/ as phonetic symbols.  Nevertheless, there is one generalization you can make about spelling.  Words written                          <u, consonant, e> almost always have a /u:/ sound (e.g. – Luke, rule, dude).

A common mistake many English learners make is that they use /u:/ for words that have a /u/ (e.g. – book, should, could), so they incorrectly pronounce such words with the long /u:/ sound.   It is a good idea to take a mirror or use the video app on your cell phone and check your lip position to see that you are doing it correctly.